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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bank — for money
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. shower — to wash
  17. degree — an amount
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bank — for money
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — the animal

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