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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — of a river
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — the tool

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