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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — lets stay

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