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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. content — the amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — part of the body

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