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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: ball · ground · rush · spell · date · firm · bank · key

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. ball — a great time
  7. spell — letters
  8. date — the fruit
  9. firm — a company
  10. bank — of a river
  11. firm — steady
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a dance
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — for a lock
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ground — a position
  24. ball — a round shape

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