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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 120 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: land · bowl · cell · bank · hide · board · fine · capital

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. board — to get on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. capital — money
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. cell — in biology
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fine — all right
  22. capital — a city
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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