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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — after costs
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — a series
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — for catching
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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