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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: bank · bore · chair · squash · craft · suit · stand · capital

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — to bear
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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