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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. march — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — after costs
  10. fine — all right
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

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