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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. bass — low music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — the underground

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