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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: spell · date · bore · capital · club · scale · roll · temple

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bore — to tire
  4. roll — a cake
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. scale — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. club — a group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spell — magic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bore — to drill
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spell — letters
  23. date — the fruit
  24. club — for golf

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