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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: bank · rule · capital · object · ball · nail · wax · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bank — for money
  4. capital — money
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — to protest
  7. march — music
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ball — a dance
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. object — a thing
  15. rule — government
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a great time
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wax — for sculpting

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