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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — soda
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. roll — a list
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — to visit

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