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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pop — music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wind — moving air
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. sharp — clever

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