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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: bank · pitcher · cabinet · saw · bowl · mark · capital · lie

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. capital — a city
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — of a river
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lie — to recline
  23. capital — a big letter
  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