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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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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: bark · fine · roll · bank · capital · charge · race · dip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. race — humankind
  7. charge — a price
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. race — the arms race
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. race — a contest
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — in control
  24. roll — on a roll

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