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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. drill — army training
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — a break
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — the amount
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tear — from crying
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. drill — the tool

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