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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. club — a group
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — a trail

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