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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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