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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spring — the season
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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