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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: fine · pit · ball · mouse · board · racket · straw · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — a committee
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. board — to get on
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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