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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. charge — a price
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. content — the amount
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — happy
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — to tire
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — gave birth

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