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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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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: mate · bank · stand · ruler · racket · capital · squash · wax

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — to grow
  10. capital — money
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bank — for money

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