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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: capital · bat · ball · can · rush · bank · cap · cell

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a dance
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — in biology

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