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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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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: bowl · rush · pass · capital · degree · stem · rule · bank

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a city
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — to come from
  22. capital — money
  23. rule — government
  24. bowl — a football final

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