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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — of a river
  11. game — wild animals
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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