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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. firm — decided
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — steady
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — moving air
  24. scale — size or range

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