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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — of water
  6. band — a ring
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a music group
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — to rip
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — a position
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — for money

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