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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: tube · bank · chair · fine · bore · capital · last · swing

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. last — final
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chair — a leader
  8. swing — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. capital — money
  13. last — finally
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — a container
  16. capital — a city
  17. fine — all right
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bore — to drill

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