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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. track — a song
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — a position
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — soda
  18. bore — to tire
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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