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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ground — a position
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. object — a thing
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. object — an aim

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