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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. track — to keep track
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. game — a match
  6. court — of law
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — a path
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cap — of ice
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cap — a hat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — high quality
  21. court — of a king
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — a lid

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