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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 120 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: current · rule · temple · track · tube · club · capital · foot

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rule — government
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — a law
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. club — a group
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. track — a path
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. current — happening now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — to keep track

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