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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tube — a container
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitch — completely
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hand — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — of a river
  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