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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — to tire
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. capital — money
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. vault — a safe

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