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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — army training
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — the tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. perch — the fish

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