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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: capital · race · stand · temple · can · scale · lean · degree

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. degree — temperature
  10. capital — money
  11. race — a contest
  12. stand — to bear
  13. scale — in music
  14. lean — thin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. capital — a city
  20. degree — an amount
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. can — to be able to
  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