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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — for golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — a position
  7. field — for sport
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. field — farmland
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — a subject
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. club — a group

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