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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — of ice
  22. net — after costs
  23. land — ground
  24. net — in sport

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