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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. clip — a video
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pop — soda
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bank — of a river

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