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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: fork · object · tube · temple · rest · can · rule · capital

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. capital — a city
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — to be able to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. object — to protest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rule — government
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — in a road
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. object — a thing
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rule — a law
  24. rest — what's left

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