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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fine — all right
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. net — after costs
  16. land — to come down
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — a stone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — in music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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