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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — to visit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — soda
  24. capital — 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