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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. scale — in music
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. land — ground
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — a country
  9. spell — letters
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spell — a short time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — magic

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