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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — a thing
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — of a river
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — certain

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