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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: pop · land · kick · spell · deal · pitcher · bank · mark

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — a country
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pop — soda
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — ground

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