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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. present — the time now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. present — a gift
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — there
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — of a river
  24. temple — a place of worship

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