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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. field — farmland
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. field — for sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — a contest
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — of a word

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