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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · coach · pound · can · racket · hand · face · temple

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — a city
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. face — to point toward
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. face — to confront
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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