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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bank — of a river
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. content — the amount
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — to be able to
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — to drop

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