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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — for a lock
  3. present — a gift
  4. row — to paddle
  5. net — for catching
  6. chair — a leader
  7. row — a line
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — there
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. key — in music
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — in a race
  22. present — the time now
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — the most important part

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