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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — a series
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bank — for money
  8. roll — a cake
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — a list
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — gave birth

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