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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — for sport
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spell — letters
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. spell — magic
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — for catching
  12. field — a subject
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — a stone
  16. field — farmland
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — of a river
  23. net — in sport
  24. wake — a trail

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