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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — a stone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. roll — a list
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — on a roll

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