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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — in cards
  18. court — of law
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — help
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — for sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. court — of a king

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