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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — to bear
  3. content — the amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. branch — a division
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape

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