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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. march — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — the month
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — for money

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