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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · content · stick · spring · race · bank

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — a city
  6. spring — of water
  7. content — the amount
  8. spring — the season
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. race — the arms race
  12. content — happy
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spring — a coil

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