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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: rest · cap · pitcher · bank · clip · stand · trunk · fine

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fine — all right
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rest — what's left
  9. clip — a video
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. clip — for paper
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rest — a break
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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