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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: file · date · rush · bound · bank · stand · board · capital

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — hurry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. file — a line of people
  9. capital — money
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bound — certain
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. capital — a city
  15. file — a document
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. board — to get on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a committee
  23. file — a tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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