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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. object — to protest
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — the fish
  16. object — a thing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bass — low music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — an agreement

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