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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.

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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: shower · capital · fine · bank · lie · track · coach · pitcher

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — a song
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. capital — money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. capital — a city
  23. shower — rain
  24. fine — high quality

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