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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · suit · current · capital · stand · foot · mark · rest

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — electric
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — clothes
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — a measure
  8. current — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — happening now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com