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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — government
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — a law
  8. march — the month
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for golf
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — a song
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — a group
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — with your hand

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