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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — a group
  11. spell — a short time
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — army training
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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