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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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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: wake · bowl · ruler · bank · pass · temple · fork · capital

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. capital — a city
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — money
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to succeed

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