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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — to come down
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. capital — a city
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — a law
  12. cap — of ice
  13. land — a country
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — ground
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — a group
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — for golf

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