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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 · capital · stand · arm · rush · row · object · track

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a line
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. capital — a city
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bank — of a river
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — to protest
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — a thing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. row — to paddle
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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