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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: capital · rash · bore · mark · rule · row · rock · band

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. rock — a stone
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rule — a law
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — hasty
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rash — a series
  17. capital — money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. band — a ring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — government
  24. mark — to pay attention

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