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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — to be able to
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. land — a country
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — ground
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a dance
  24. key — in music

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