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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: bank · capital · pound · season · ruler · bore

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. capital — money
  14. bore — to tire
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pound — to hit hard

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