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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — a lid
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. drill — a practice
  24. plane — a tool

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