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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — child
  5. present — the time now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bank — of a river
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. march — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — all right
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — a gift
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — the fish

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