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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: capital · temple · foot · chip · pitch · mouse · prune · spell

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. capital — a city
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spell — magic
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. capital — money
  21. spell — letters
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — to eat

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