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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: object · chest · capital · temple · kick · racket · suit · branch

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — a box
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. capital — a city
  17. suit — to fit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — money
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — an aim
  24. chest — of your body

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