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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chair — a leader
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. march — the month

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