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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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 — a big letter
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — in football
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cap — of ice
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — a city
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. capital — money
  23. spring — of water
  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