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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bank — of a river
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. club — a group
  10. shower — to wash
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — help
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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