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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — the earth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — of water
  18. march — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spring — the season
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — a coil

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