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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. present — there
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ground — a position
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — the time now
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a path
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — a gift
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — a song
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — tied together

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