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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a signal
  4. capital — a city
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. craft — a skill
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — for betting
  22. craft — boats
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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