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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tube — the underground
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cold — an illness
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. object — an aim

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