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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — for money
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — happy
  16. wound — an injury
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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