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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — a committee
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — an aim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — all right
  17. object — a thing
  18. mark — a trace
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. field — a subject
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — high quality

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