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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mate — a friend
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — to come from
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. capital — money
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bank — of a river

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