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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · capital · pitch · prune · dip · object · bear · spell

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. object — an aim
  16. capital — money
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — of a river
  24. prune — the fruit

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