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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.

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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 · bay · can · ball · capital · row · root · straw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — the cause
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — of a river
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. root — of a word
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. row — to paddle
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — a straw man

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