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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stock — shares
  12. bank — of a river
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — goods
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — a sick person

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