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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: land · bore · bank · cell · racket · rush · fine · object

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — ground
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. object — to protest
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to drill
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — a country
  20. object — an aim
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fine — all right
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bank — for money

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