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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pit — in a race
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. last — to go on
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bass — low music
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. game — a match

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