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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: bank · dip · fan · temple · capital · firm · court · fine

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. court — of law
  5. firm — a company
  6. capital — a city
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — for sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — of a river
  18. court — of a king
  19. firm — decided
  20. bank — for money
  21. fine — all right
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. dip — a sauce

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