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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a song
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — the fish
  24. capital — a city

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