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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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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: pit · temple · capital · toast · board · race · key · can

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. can — a tin
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pit — a hole
  11. capital — a city
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — humankind
  20. key — the most important part
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a committee
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. race — a contest

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