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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: perch · race · bank · rock · capital · can · stand · dip

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — humankind
  14. capital — money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — a city
  20. race — a contest
  21. rock — a stone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. dip — a sauce

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