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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. drill — army training
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — a container
  15. kid — to tease
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. kid — child
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — the underground

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