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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — the amount
  20. scale — size or range
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — what's left

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