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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rule — a law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — government
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — moving air
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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