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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 116 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: board · cabinet · capital · bank · rule · march · racket · land

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. march — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — government
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — a law
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — to rule out

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