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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 120 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: capital · ball · drill · bat · mug · mark · stand · bank

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mug — to rob
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. capital — money
  9. bat — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a city
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ball — a dance
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a grade

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