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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — to fit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a ring
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. net — in sport

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