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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.

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: mine · spell · bank · mouse · pitch · cap · capital · lie

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — letters
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. capital — money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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