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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cold — not warm
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wave — with your hand
  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