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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: sharp · bank · bear · ground · racket · wound · cabinet · row

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — to paddle
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — crushed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — a position
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. row — a line

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