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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — to be able to
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. root — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. land — ground
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ground — crushed
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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