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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pitcher · ground · foot · chest · bear · bank · mouse · net

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — crushed
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. net — in sport

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