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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — a partner
  3. court — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. suit — clothes
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — of a king
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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