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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to drill
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. kick — in football
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a music group
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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