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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rash — hasty
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spring — the season
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — to handle
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rash — a series
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a dance

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