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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chair — a leader
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — after costs
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — for catching
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. object — to protest
  23. date — the fruit
  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