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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pound — a weight
  10. field — for sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — farmland
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. scale — in music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cell — a phone
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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