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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — of a river
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bat — the animal

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