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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — of a river
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. cue — for pool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. field — a subject
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — farmland
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hand — 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