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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — in sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. season — of the year
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — help

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