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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. face — to point toward
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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