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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. roll — a cake
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bank — of a river
  5. roll — a list
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. rash — a series
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — a cup
  14. band — a music group
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — steady
  19. band — a ring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. capital — money
  22. dip — to sink
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. capital — a city

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