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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: present · bowl · rash · foot · branch · ground · coach · wind

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — the time now
  5. rash — a series
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. branch — a division
  17. ground — crushed
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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