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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — to play on
  3. capital — a city
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — in golf
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — to go on
  11. bank — of a river
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. swing — music
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rule — government
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. capital — money
  24. rule — a law

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