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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. last — finally
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — to drill
  11. last — final
  12. field — for sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — a subject
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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