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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cold — an illness
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stand — to bear

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