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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — a position
  4. spell — letters
  5. net — for catching
  6. spring — of water
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. branch — a division
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — in sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lean — thin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — to bend
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — after costs

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