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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 · nail · pit · sharp · stem · calf · can · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a hole
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — to be able to

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