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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. root — of a word
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — decided
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — clever
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — of a river
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — ministers

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