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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: field · can · vault · capital · face · game · temple · current

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. field — a subject
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — a safe
  13. game — wild animals
  14. current — of water
  15. field — farmland
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. game — a match
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. capital — money
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — to confront

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