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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: ruler · shower · bank · rule · capital · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. capital — a city
  3. bank — for money
  4. rule — government
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. shower — rain
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — a law
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music

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