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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. track — a path
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — of a river
  18. capital — money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. track — a song
  21. club — a group
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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