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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bank — of a river
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — the season
  24. fork — to eat with

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