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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — certain
  6. content — happy
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. foot — a measure
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bound — tied together
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. date — the fruit

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