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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 going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. march — the month
  8. court — for sport
  9. tear — to rip
  10. court — of a king
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — money
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. march — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — of law

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