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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: fall · bank · fine · net · suit · bat · rock · sharp

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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. fine — all right
  4. net — for catching
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — clever
  9. net — in sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — after costs
  13. rock — a stone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rock — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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