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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — of a river
  21. capital — a city
  22. toast — bread
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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