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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a face
  6. land — a country
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — to come down
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. snap — to click
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — ground

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