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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tube — a container
  4. capital — a city
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. capital — money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — a gift
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — there
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — a measure
  20. present — the time now
  21. spring — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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