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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pop — music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — in music
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — of a river
  12. track — a song
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — the time now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pop — to visit
  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