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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · bank · pit · march · tear · field · mouse · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — of a river
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tear — from crying
  14. field — farmland
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. march — the month
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — for money

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