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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: track · temple · roll · can · capital · wave · key · hand

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. capital — money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. roll — a cake
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — in music
  11. roll — a list
  12. track — a song
  13. can — to be able to
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — help
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. capital — a city
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. track — to keep track
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the 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