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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. band — a ring
  3. present — the time now
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mark — a trace
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — a grade
  13. court — of law
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a line
  16. court — of a king
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — a company
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. firm — steady
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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