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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 120 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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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 · trunk · board · temple · firm · ruler · file · racket

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — steady
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. file — a document
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — money
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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