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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — the season
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lie — an untruth

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