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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — a match
  5. land — a country
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rest — a break
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — of a river

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