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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: bank · object · pop · jam · wake · deal · drill · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. deal — to handle
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. drill — army training
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bank — of a river
  19. object — an aim
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pop — soda

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