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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — of ice
  3. capital — a city
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — a weight
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. club — for golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cap — a hat
  21. capital — money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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