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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — of a river
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rush — hurry
  22. court — of a king
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pound — for dogs

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