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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: foot · mouse · land · deal · race · bank · pitcher · tear

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. race — a contest
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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