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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. land — to come down
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — a subject
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — to protest
  12. cue — a signal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — a thing
  17. present — there
  18. row — to paddle
  19. present — the time now
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bank — of a river
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a line
  24. object — an aim

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