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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — the season
  6. stock — shares
  7. spring — of water
  8. capital — money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — goods
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a partner
  20. capital — a city
  21. ball — a dance
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — to breed
  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