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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: craft · ball · capital · rule · bank · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — boats
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. capital — money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rule — a law
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a skill
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — government
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a city

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