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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. band — a music group
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a ring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — for pool
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — a gift
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. net — in sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — there
  24. net — for catching

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