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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bank — of a river
  6. capital — a city
  7. land — to come down
  8. toast — bread
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — for catching
  12. land — a country
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — after costs
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — a price
  19. net — in sport
  20. spring — the season
  21. land — ground
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. capital — money

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