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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. march — the month
  9. track — to keep track
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a song
  16. pit — a hole
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. march — the month

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