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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — all right
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a great time
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. march — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — high quality
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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