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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — a thing
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — to paddle
  16. game — a match
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. object — to protest
  21. row — a line
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. sharp — clever

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