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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — music
  7. key — in music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  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