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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: staff · temple · scale · file · charge · ball · game · capital

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. staff — a stick
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. capital — money
  9. scale — in music
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — a price
  12. ball — a great time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a document
  17. game — wild animals
  18. capital — a city
  19. game — a match
  20. scale — size or range
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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