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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. scale — size or range

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