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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. drill — army training
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ground — the earth
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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