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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ground — a position
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bank — of a river
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — hurry
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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