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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: bound · mark · current · rule · capital · racket · temple · saw

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bound — tied together
  8. current — electric
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — a law
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — happening now
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — the tool

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