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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — in sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kick — in football
  19. ground — a position
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kick — a thrill

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