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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. capital — a city
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — a weight
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. capital — money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — a big letter

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