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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. march — music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. net — after costs
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cue — a hint

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