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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 going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — of a river
  5. content — happy
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bound — obliged
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — a contest
  10. staff — a stick
  11. race — humankind
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — to keep track
  14. board — a committee
  15. drill — a practice
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a song
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — to get on
  22. content — the amount
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. staff — employees

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