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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ball — a dance
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — size or range
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. patient — a sick person

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