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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a path
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. track — a song
  7. bat — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. row — a line
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. fine — all right

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