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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — certain
  7. pit — in a race
  8. land — a country
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. bank — for money
  12. land — ground
  13. bound — obliged
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pit — a hole
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bank — of a river

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