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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: dip · capital · march · temple · game · squash · current · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. march — the month
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. current — of water
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. current — happening now
  12. game — a match
  13. march — music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. game — wild animals
  20. capital — money
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to sink

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