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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. last — finally
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a word
  6. bound — obliged
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — the cause
  19. last — to go on
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — tied together
  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