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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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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — to come down
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. land — ground
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bat — the animal

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