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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 124 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — decided
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pop — music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — to visit
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a list
  22. firm — steady
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — soda

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