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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fine — all right
  6. deal — to handle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — help
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fine — a penalty

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