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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — for golf
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — army training
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bank — of a river
  21. club — a group
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — part of the body

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