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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: game · mate · bank · capital · tear · staff

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tear — to rip
  5. staff — employees
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tear — from crying
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a city
  13. staff — employees
  14. capital — money
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a match
  18. mate — a partner

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