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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — a thing
  10. ground — the earth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — to protest
  16. branch — a division
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — crushed

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