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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fine — all right
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — in football
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cap — of ice
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cap — a lid
  24. sharp — clever

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