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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bank — of a river
  4. key — the most important part
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — music
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. march — the month
  14. key — in music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cold — an illness
  23. prune — to trim
  24. march — the month

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