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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 120 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — a short time
  6. capital — money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. capital — a city
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — letters
  22. pop — to visit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. swing — to play on

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