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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. drill — a practice
  3. band — a music group
  4. ground — crushed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a ring

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