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

Word bank: roll · bank · wave · chair · mouse · bat · deal · present

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — a leader
  8. present — the time now
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. present — there
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bank — of a river
  22. present — a gift
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. roll — a list

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