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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — hasty
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. content — happy
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — the amount

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