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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: game · bank · pit · content · pop · ground · mouse · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a match
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — the amount
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. content — happy
  24. game — wild animals

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