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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: spell · bay · capital · pit · board · bank · hide · bowl

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. board — to get on
  3. pit — a hole
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — magic
  23. capital — money
  24. spell — letters

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