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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — of a river
  4. clip — a video
  5. club — for dancing
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for golf
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. bore — to tire
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — music
  24. content — happy

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