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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cue — a signal
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — child
  9. bank — of a river
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — a country
  16. suit — to fit
  17. firm — decided
  18. cue — for pool
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. net — for catching
  23. land — to come down
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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