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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — to keep track
  9. suit — in cards
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. scale — in music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. track — a song
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. arm — part of the body

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