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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. face — to confront
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bank — of a river
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — boats
  21. sharp — clever
  22. face — part of the head
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chair — to sit on

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