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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: bowl · fork · hide · bank · capital · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. capital — a city
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — money
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. capital — a big letter

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