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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a ring
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. band — a music group
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. row — a line
  16. capital — a city
  17. rest — a break
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bank — of a river

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