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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 120 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 the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — a city
  6. bass — low music
  7. land — a country
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — a skill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cap — a lid
  21. land — to come down
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — animal skin

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