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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — goods
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — of a river
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — the month

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