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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — a company
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. capital — a city
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — decided

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