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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — music
  12. swing — music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — of a river
  15. drill — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — in a race
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — the month

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