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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. season — in sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bank — for money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wind — moving air

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