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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 · mine · ground · deal · bowl · perch · clip · bank

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. clip — a video
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — to handle
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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