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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. file — a tool
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — after costs
  13. file — a line of people
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — in sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a document
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bay — a horse colour

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