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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — after costs
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. march — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — of ice
  23. net — in sport
  24. bear — the animal

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