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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: leaves · capital · stand · temple · cap · march · jam · chest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. march — the month
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. capital — money
  16. chest — a box
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. march — music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — a city
  21. cap — a lid
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. capital — a big letter

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