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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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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: bulb · ground · bank · roll · mark · pitcher · hide · foot

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. ground — a position
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — a grade
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bulb — for light

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