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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. net — in sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — a trace
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bank — of a river

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