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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. present — a gift
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. present — there
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — the time now
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bowl — a football final

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