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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chest — of your body
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — in a race
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chest — a box
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — all right
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — a hole

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