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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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