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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — of the year
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — in sport
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. race — humankind
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — crushed

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