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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — in music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. capital — a city
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — money
  18. shower — rain
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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