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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — tied together
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. net — for catching
  15. bound — obliged
  16. net — after costs
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — in football
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — for money

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