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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. swing — to play on
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tube — the underground
  17. field — a subject
  18. tube — a container
  19. spell — letters
  20. swing — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. tube — in a tire

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