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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bank — of a river
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ball — a great time
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — in control
  19. fine — all right
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — a match
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — farmland

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