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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: capital · land · band · cabinet · toast · rule · fine · board

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. band — a music group
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — money
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. board — a committee
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. rule — a law
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rule — government
  20. toast — bread
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a ring

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