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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. root — the cause
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stand — to bear
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. plane — a tool

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