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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. capital — a city
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — money
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — ministers

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