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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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. fine — all right
  4. spring — the season
  5. mug — a face
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bank — of a river
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — of water
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fine — high quality
  21. capital — money
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chair — a leader

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