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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — a position
  13. fork — in a road
  14. field — for sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spring — of water
  18. field — farmland
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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