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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pop — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mug — to rob
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mug — a face
  15. fine — all right
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — soda
  18. degree — an amount
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mug — a cup
  22. swing — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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