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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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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: march · suit · wave · jam · ball · bank · shower · kid

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kid — to tease
  8. march — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kid — child
  15. suit — clothes
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ball — a round shape

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