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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. object — to protest
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. swing — in golf
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — to play on
  10. field — a subject
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — a path
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — the earth
  21. swing — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

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