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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · march · racket · bank · can · mouse · ball · cold

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bank — of a river
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cold — the Cold War

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