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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cap — of ice
  4. land — to come down
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. pound — a weight
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cap — a lid
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. game — a match
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — for money

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