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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spring — the season
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. drill — army training
  10. bank — of a river
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ground — a position
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spring — of water
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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