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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 116 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: mine · wake · can · game · bank · file · capital · stem

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. game — a match
  21. capital — a city
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — wild animals

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