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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — decided
  5. ground — crushed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — a position
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — the arms race
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. roll — a cake
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bulb — for light

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