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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: fan · cap · scale · temple · capital · squash · mug · date

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — to crush
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. scale — in music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. capital — a city
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mug — to rob

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