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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — a song
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — all right
  18. dip — to sink
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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