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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pit — in a race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — low music
  24. swing — music

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