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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — of water
  14. prune — to trim
  15. march — the month
  16. court — of law
  17. bank — of a river
  18. court — for sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spring — the season
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lie — to recline
  24. court — of a king

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