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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. bank — for money
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. field — farmland
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. sharp — clever
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cue — for pool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — a hint
  23. field — a subject
  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