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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
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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: present · mine · chair · temple · capital · current · toast · calf

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — bread
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. current — happening now
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — the time now
  13. current — of water
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — there
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. capital — a city
  22. present — a gift
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. capital — money

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