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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fine — high quality
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. tube — a container
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mark — a grade
  13. game — a match
  14. kid — child
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — a tin

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