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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. capital — money
  5. deal — to handle
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — a division
  12. fine — high quality
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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