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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · stock · bay · bowl · face · bore · capital · drill

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. capital — money
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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