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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. net — in sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — after costs
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. net — for catching
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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