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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pit — a hole
  20. roll — a cake
  21. last — finally
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — a list
  24. arm — part of the body

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