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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: net · foot · file · cue · bank · bowl · mark · rest

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a document
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. net — after costs
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — a trace
  23. net — for catching
  24. mark — to pay attention

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