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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a trace
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — a video
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — employees
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — a division
  22. staff — a stick
  23. clip — to cut
  24. roll — a cake

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