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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — a country
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — soda
  8. land — ground
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. scale — in music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — size or range
  19. court — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of law
  24. bear — to put up with

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