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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. bank — for money
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a path
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a match
  22. bank — of a river
  23. track — a song
  24. game — a kind of play

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