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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a line
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — of a river
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — boats
  21. march — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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