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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — a loud noise

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