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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. march — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. march — the month
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — for sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — there
  16. field — farmland
  17. march — the month
  18. field — a subject
  19. ground — a position
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — for money
  23. charge — in control
  24. bank — of a river

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