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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: net · game · bound · pitcher · wake · bank · sharp · cap

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — in sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — for catching
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — a match
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — a hat
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — obliged
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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