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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — letters
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — of a river
  8. field — for sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. field — farmland
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — the season
  19. field — a subject
  20. spring — a coil
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — music

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