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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: bank · pop · club · cap · mark · wake · clip · mine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pop — soda
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mine — for digging
  12. club — a group
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for golf
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mark — a trace

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