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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — to come from
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a ring
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — certain

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