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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — an aim
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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