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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: game · bore · bank · mug · lean · capital · scale · fan

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bank — for money
  7. mug — to rob
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a city
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. scale — in music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — wild animals
  24. capital — money

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