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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — temperature
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. can — a tin

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