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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bank — of a river
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — to visit
  16. branch — a division
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. branch — of a bank

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