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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to click
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. charge — in control
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — music
  14. court — of law
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. charge — a price
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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