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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. branch — a division
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bark — to shout
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rush — hurry
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ground — crushed
  24. jam — a tight spot

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