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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — of a river
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitch — completely
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fine — a penalty

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