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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. swing — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — of a king
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — the sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fall — the season
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — in golf
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — a partner
  18. swing — to play on
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. scale — in music

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