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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — completely
  4. swing — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bear — the animal

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