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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.

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: game · capital · face · hide · bank · pitcher · rock · rule

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. capital — money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — a match
  13. rule — a law
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bank — for money
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. capital — a city
  23. face — to point toward
  24. capital — a big letter

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