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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hand — help
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — of a river
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wake — a trail
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. hand — in cards
  20. capital — a city
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — in cards

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