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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — music
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — soda
  10. spring — a coil
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a path
  15. bank — of a river
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — the season
  19. bank — for money
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bank — for money

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