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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · wound · squash · object · capital · spring · chip · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — to crush
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — money
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. object — a thing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. capital — a city
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — for sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the sport

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