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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pit — in a race
  22. clip — for paper
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — the sport

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