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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — to protest
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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