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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bank — of a river
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bass — the fish
  24. spell — magic

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