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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ground — a position
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. land — ground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — to come down
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fine — all right
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. land — a country

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