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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
468
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 · sharp · kid · ball · capital · bank · drill · land

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kid — child
  3. capital — a city
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. land — a country
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kid — to tease
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bear — the animal
  24. drill — the tool

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