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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: fine · content · bank · stem · tear · capital · bay · ruler

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. capital — money
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. capital — a city
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — all right
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — the amount
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — high quality

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