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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. firm — a company
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — steady
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitch — a sports field

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