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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — of a river
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. capital — a city
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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