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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. file — a document
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — low music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — a position
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a city
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — money
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spell — magic
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — letters

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