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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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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: toast · bank · stand · fine · capital · mine · cell · coach

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. capital — money
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cell — a phone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — bread
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mine — for digging
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bank — of a river

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