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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. scale — in music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — soda
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fan — to cool the 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