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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — high quality
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fine — all right
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — a break
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — a trainer

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