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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bank — for money
  4. object — an aim
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — boats
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a great time
  20. object — to protest
  21. kid — to tease
  22. object — a thing
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. vault — a safe

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