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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — high quality
  14. swing — music
  15. land — a country
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. land — ground
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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