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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · wound · pit · ball · rule · jam · chest · bank

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rule — government
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — a box
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — a law

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