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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. game — wild animals
  9. club — for golf
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mark — to pay attention

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