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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — a group
  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