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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: stick · track · capital · press · snap · pass · fork · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — newspapers
  18. track — a path
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — a publisher
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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