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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bound — obliged
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — certain
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — tied together
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. spell — magic
  24. pound — for dogs

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