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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: mine · pitcher · bank · racket · capital · rule · dip · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. capital — a city
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitcher — a jug

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