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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. board — to get on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — a committee
  19. ground — a position
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mate — a partner

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