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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.

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: rock · racket · fan · cell · fine · bank · present · bark

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — in biology
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rock — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — a phone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — to shout

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