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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. capital — a city
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. capital — money
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — letters
  24. wound — an injury

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