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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · bank · sharp · pitcher · object · pop · spell · perch

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spell — letters
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — an aim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — to visit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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