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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: wound · mine · mark · fine · mouse · rush · suit · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mine — for digging
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mark — a trace

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