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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 120 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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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: perch · capital · fall · bank · pit · bay · safe · row

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. row — a line
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. capital — a city
  24. bank — of a river

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