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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bank — for money
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. game — a match
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. bank — of a river
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — in golf
  15. capital — money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a city
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — a trainer

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