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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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. spell — a short time
  4. ground — a position
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cold — an illness
  7. land — to come down
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — of water
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — letters
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — happening now
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — magic
  22. land — a country
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. current — electric

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