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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 120 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: band · object · sharp · mate · cold · game · fine · bank

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — to protest
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cold — an illness
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. band — a ring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — to breed
  19. object — a thing
  20. bank — of a river
  21. object — an aim
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. game — a match

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