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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — a group
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a lid
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — crushed
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — the earth
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — decided

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