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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: capital · perch · game · wake · temple · march · rest · chip

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — for betting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — the fish
  13. capital — money
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. march — the month
  23. capital — a city
  24. rest — what's left

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