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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. track — a song
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a path
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mug — to rob
  22. content — the amount
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mark — a grade

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