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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — ground
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bank — of a river
  9. drill — army training
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — to come down
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — a country
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — for tennis

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