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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wind — moving air
  3. object — to protest
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spell — a short time
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. bank — of a river
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — for money

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