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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — to go on
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — to fit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — of a river
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — belonging to me

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