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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: bank · capital · cue · date · dip · lean · bay · ground

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — thin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. date — the fruit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cue — a signal
  16. capital — a city
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ground — a position
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. capital — money
  24. cue — for pool

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