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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a committee
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — of a river
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. vault — a safe
  23. board — to get on
  24. spell — a short time

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