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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — a position
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wound — an injury

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