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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · fine · bank · last · pitch · bulb · craft · lean

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — finally
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — final
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lean — thin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lean — to bend

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