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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — letters
  11. capital — a city
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — in a race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — a hole

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