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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: temple · firm · board · fork · drill · capital · track · plane

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. track — a song
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. drill — army training
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — a practice
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — money
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a committee
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — a path
  21. capital — a city
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fork — in a road
  24. temple — a place of worship

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