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

Word bank: bank · stick · tube · ground · fine · arm · capital · chair

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — a container
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — high quality

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