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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: chip · bore · temple · perch · cabinet · fork · capital · jam

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — a city
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. capital — money
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fork — a garden tool

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