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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 116 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: content · sharp · deal · racket · bound · rest · bank · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — the amount
  4. bank — of a river
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. content — happy
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — to paddle

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