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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — for sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bat — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. court — of a king
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — the instrument

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