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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fine — all right
  3. perch — the fish
  4. game — a match
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. object — to protest
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bank — of a river
  12. charge — in control
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. game — wild animals
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — a break
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — after costs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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