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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · club · stick · bat · suit · march · hand · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — help
  12. mug — a face
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for dancing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bat — the animal

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