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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: cap · bowl · bank · saw · spell · bay · tube · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — of ice
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. spell — magic

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