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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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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for golf
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — of a river
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — the month

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