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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. field — farmland
  3. pop — to visit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pop — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a document
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. suit — in cards
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a tool
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — magic
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pop — soda
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. suit — clothes
  21. craft — boats
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — letters
  24. field — for sport

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