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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.

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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kid — child
  18. cap — a hat
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — magic
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kid — to tease

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