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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: drill · suit · hand · pop · bark · chair · arm · bank

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — in cards
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — of a river
  17. drill — a practice
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pop — to visit
  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