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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — help
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — for tennis

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