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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hand — help
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. march — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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