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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. firm — a company
  17. fine — all right
  18. game — a match
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — decided
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bass — the fish

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