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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
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: file · pitcher · toast · temple · present · capital · court · suit

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. file — a document
  3. capital — a city
  4. court — for sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. file — a line of people
  7. suit — clothes
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. court — of a king
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. court — of law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — to fit
  21. capital — money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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