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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. club — a group
  7. race — a contest
  8. pop — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for golf
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. race — the arms race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pop — soda
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. race — humankind
  23. pitch — completely
  24. hand — in cards

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