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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — in a race
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. roll — a list
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — of a river
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — for tennis

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