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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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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 · key · present · rash · rest · cap · capital · fork

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rash — a series
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. capital — money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — of ice
  11. key — for a lock
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a city
  14. present — the time now
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — hasty
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — there
  24. rash — on the skin

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