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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bank — of a river
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. craft — boats
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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