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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a music group
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — to come down
  22. scale — in music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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