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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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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: cell · temple · bank · pitch · wound · cap · bowl · capital

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cell — in biology
  6. capital — money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a city
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cap — a lid
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — a phone
  24. capital — a big letter

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