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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — for pool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — high quality
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — help
  19. track — a path
  20. fine — all right
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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