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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — high quality
  12. season — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. capital — a city
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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