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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. object — a thing
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — a division
  13. object — an aim
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — government
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rule — a law
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. branch — of a tree

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