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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ground — the earth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hand — help
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — a face
  12. land — to come down
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — to visit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — in cards

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