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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — the amount
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — music
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — happy

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