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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pop — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. capital — a city
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — humankind
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a face
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — in a road
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — a cup

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