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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · pitcher · bank · race · leaves · suit · wind · fine

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — moving air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bank — for money
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — humankind
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. suit — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. race — a contest
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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