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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. capital — money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bass — low music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. capital — a city
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for 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