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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. face — to point toward
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — money
  17. mate — a partner
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — part of the head

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