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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · cue · scale · fork · charge · calf · capital · temple

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — in control
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. clip — a video
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. clip — to cut
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fork — in a road
  15. scale — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. capital — money
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — for paper
  24. scale — size or range

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