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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — of a river
  4. firm — a company
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. firm — decided
  12. net — after costs
  13. land — a country
  14. game — wild animals
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — ground
  17. game — a match
  18. land — to come down
  19. track — a path
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a song
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — to keep track
  24. net — in sport

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