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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. land — to come down
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — a country
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fine — all right
  9. club — for dancing
  10. root — the cause
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. land — ground
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — to breed

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