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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 120 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: board · bank · rock · chip · field · mug · deal · capital

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — a city
  8. board — a committee
  9. bank — for money
  10. mug — a face
  11. field — a subject
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bank — of a river
  14. field — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — money
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. deal — to handle

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