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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. capital — money
  10. bear — the animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. file — a document
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — to be able to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — a city
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — a list

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