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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. ground — a position
  8. court — for sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. ground — the earth
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — of a king
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. drill — army training
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — music

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