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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. net — in sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. hand — help
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — for catching
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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