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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mark — a trace
  14. track — a path
  15. bank — for money
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — soda
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — of a river
  24. deal — a big deal

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