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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — to protest
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — to handle
  13. object — a thing
  14. mate — a friend
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. row — a line
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — high quality

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