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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a great time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. current — happening now
  11. present — the time now
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — of water
  19. present — there
  20. current — electric
  21. court — for sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. court — of a king
  24. scale — size or range

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