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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a skill
  12. scale — size or range
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — music
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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