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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 120 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: ground · tube · pound · bank · sharp · saw · bat · cap

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bank — for money
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tube — a container
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pound — a weight
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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