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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: pass · cabinet · capital · drill · field · temple · bank · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. capital — a city
  3. field — a subject
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — money
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — for sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pass — a permit
  16. drill — army training
  17. field — farmland
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — of a river
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. capital — a big letter

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