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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. band — a ring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — completely
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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