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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the fish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — a song
  8. sharp — clever
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. row — to paddle
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — a path
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. row — a line

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