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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. club — for golf
  8. bank — for money
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — a group
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — to rob

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