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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: nail · tube · bear · capital · drill · bank · racket · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — a city
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a committee
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. tube — a container
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. drill — a practice

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