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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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — for catching
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — in sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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