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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — for golf
  6. ground — crushed
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ground — a position
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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