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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — the time now
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — there
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — a committee
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — to get on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — of a river
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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