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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — for catching
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fine — all right
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — a stone

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