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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. capital — a city
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. object — a thing
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bank — of a river

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