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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wound — an injury
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. march — the month
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. club — for golf
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. march — 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