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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · scale · nail · bank · pitcher · wave · stem

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. capital — money
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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