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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fine — all right
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — the month
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rock — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. land — ground
  13. fine — high quality
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. march — music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. date — the fruit
  24. key — for a lock

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