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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — a match
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bank — of a river

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