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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. capital — money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — a container
  4. content — happy
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — the amount
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — part of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. capital — a city
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rush — hurry
  21. face — to confront
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — for money
  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