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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · bank · capital · current · staff · wax · straw · date

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a city
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — of water
  5. staff — a stick
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. date — the fruit
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — to grow
  24. staff — employees

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