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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. row — a line
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a match
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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