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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — a company
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — the tool

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