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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — the time now
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — the earth
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. present — there
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — a stone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — a song
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — a position
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — a path

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