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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 · mark · mine · bank · pound · spell · tube · branch

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spell — magic
  5. bank — of a river
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — a division
  10. capital — money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. capital — a city
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — letters
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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