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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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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: wave · chip · wake · ruler · court · bank · ground · hide

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — crushed
  7. court — of a king
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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