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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — a hat
  6. content — the amount
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. track — a path
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fork — in a road
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — a song
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — on a roll

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