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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — a country
  10. capital — money
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. club — a group
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. land — ground
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. club — for dancing
  21. land — to come down
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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