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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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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: temple · rest · mug · fork · ruler · swing · capital · degree

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. swing — to play on
  7. degree — temperature
  8. capital — a city
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. capital — money
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — in a road
  24. temple — a place of worship

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