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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 · suit · bank · tear · pitcher · pop · stick · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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