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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — a company
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — ground
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ball — a dance

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