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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a lid
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pop — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. club — a group
  20. march — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. march — the month

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