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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: mouse · wound · mug · fork · pass · spring · ruler · ground

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mug — a face
  21. spring — of water
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ground — crushed

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