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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rash — a series
  11. spell — magic
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — letters
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. march — the month

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