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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: ground · spell · mouse · board · wake · pit · pitcher · roll

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wake — a trail

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