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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: board · staff · cell · date · bank · track · capital · temple

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a committee
  4. cell — a phone
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cell — in biology
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — to get on
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — money
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. date — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — a place of worship

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