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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. net — after costs
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — to come from
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pop — soda
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. shower — rain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  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