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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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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: can · deal · ground · bowl · cold · bank · club · scale

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ground — a position
  11. club — a group
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cold — not warm
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cold — an illness
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. can — to be able to
  24. club — for golf

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