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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — to keep track
  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