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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. last — finally
  5. object — an aim
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. present — a gift
  10. last — to go on
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — hurry
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — there
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. root — of a word
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — final
  24. object — to protest

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