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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — help
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — a leader
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — a face
  19. scale — in music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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