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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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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. dip — to sink
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — money
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — certain
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — obliged
  24. capital — a big letter

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