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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — letters
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. band — a ring
  7. stock — shares
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — a grade
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bank — of a river
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — a trace

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