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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fall — the season
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — a song
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bat — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. capital — money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. track — to keep track
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bat — for baseball

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