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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a trace
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cold — an illness

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