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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · bank · jam · saw · ruler · present · mine · capital

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — a container
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mine — for digging
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. capital — a city
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tube — the underground
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. capital — money

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