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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: march · fine · mark · bass · calf · last · bank · arm

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — to go on
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — all right
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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