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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rock — music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bank — for money

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