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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. land — to come down
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — clothes
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bank — of a river
  17. staff — employees
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. calf — of the leg

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