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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitch — completely

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