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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cap — a hat
  3. net — for catching
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — of a king
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — the time now
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rock — music
  16. court — of law
  17. roll — a list
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — for sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — of ice

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