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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — help
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — a measure
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — a short time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. foot — part of the body

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