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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — wild animals
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a music group
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. swing — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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