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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. row — a line
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. field — a subject
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — boats
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — for sport

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