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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: capital · season · saw · can · drill · stem · bank · cabinet

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. can — a tin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. capital — money
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — to come from
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — in sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. capital — a city
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — the tool

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