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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
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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: temple · capital · bay · wave · track · rule · stock · pitcher

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — government
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. capital — money
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. track — a path
  16. rule — a law
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — goods
  21. capital — a city
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — to rule out

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