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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. track — a song
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. swing — to play on
  10. net — in sport
  11. spring — of water
  12. track — to keep track
  13. scale — size or range
  14. plane — a tool
  15. swing — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — a path
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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