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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · mouse · ground · stand · pit · bark · bank · pitcher

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. pit — a hole

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