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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hand — help
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. capital — money
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. bear — the animal

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