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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · arm · game · lean · capital · scale · temple · chair

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. game — a match
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. scale — in music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to bend
  17. game — wild animals
  18. current — happening now
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. current — of water
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — a professorship

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