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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 124 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. spring — the season
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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