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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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Word bank
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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: spring · press · pit · shower · bank · bay · capital · object

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. shower — rain
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — an aim
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — a coil
  17. capital — money
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spring — the season
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — to protest
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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