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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — an aim
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. object — a thing
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — after costs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — for catching

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