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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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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: chair · arm · dip · bank · rock · bay · can · capital

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — money
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. chair — a leader
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rock — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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