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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — for money
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. track — a song
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bank — of a river

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