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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. swing — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — a break

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