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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.

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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 · racket · bank · hand · march · perch · lean · pitcher

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. perch — the fish
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to bend
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — of a river
  19. march — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. racket — for tennis

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