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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — a match
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — a position
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — to breed
  8. track — a song
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a cup

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