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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — the season
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — to eat
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bank — for money
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — a position
  13. mine — for digging
  14. tube — the underground
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — a container
  17. bank — for money
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. foot — a measure
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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