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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pound — a weight
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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