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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: bear · bank · dip · rule · drill · cap · capital · coach

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — to sink
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — army training
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — money
  24. coach — a trainer

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