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

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. object — a thing
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. fine — high quality
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. game — a match

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