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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — to handle
  10. scale — in music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rest — what's left
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — to get on
  24. deal — an agreement

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