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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a match
  8. court — of law
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — to get on
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tear — to rip
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tear — from crying
  24. foot — part of the body

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