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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.

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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: snap · rush · scale · capital · mark · fine · temple · pitcher

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. capital — money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — all right
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — a grade
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. capital — a city
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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