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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cell — in biology

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