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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chair — a leader
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mug — a face
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. roll — a cake
  24. net — in sport

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