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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: pop · foot · bank · can · kid · sharp · rule · bowl

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — a law
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kid — to tease
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — government
  21. pop — soda
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kid — child
  24. pop — to visit

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