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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — a measure
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. roll — a cake
  15. land — to come down
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — money

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