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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · pop · rush · capital · pass · mug · land · spell

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. spell — magic
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pass — a permit
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. spell — letters
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. capital — a city
  19. pop — to visit
  20. land — to come down
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — ground
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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