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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — for money
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. club — for dancing
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pop — soda
  22. kid — child
  23. pop — music
  24. can — a tin

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