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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
468
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: race · leaves · fan · temple · scale · capital · mouse · pitcher

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — size or range
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. race — a contest
  15. scale — in music
  16. capital — a city
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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