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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mate — a partner
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. deal — to handle
  24. calf — of the leg

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