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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. branch — a division
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spring — of water
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — the season
  14. club — for golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — a group
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spring — a coil
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — magic
  23. ground — a position
  24. chip — in a computer

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