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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — of ice
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bank — for money
  14. cell — in biology
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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