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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — a line
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — in biology
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. march — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — a city
  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