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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. kid — child
  6. game — a match
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — to tease
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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