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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.

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: jam · chest · bank · game · ball · ruler · perch · rash

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — hasty
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rash — a series
  8. ball — a dance
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ball — a great time
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chest — a box
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a match
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. game — wild animals
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — of your body

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