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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — hasty
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — to visit
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pop — soda
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a line
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bank — of a river

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