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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. spell — magic
  11. press — a publisher
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. capital — money
  23. spell — letters
  24. drill — 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