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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: scale · sharp · bank · fine · spell · ground · bound · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — a position
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — magic
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. game — wild animals
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — clever
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spell — letters
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — high quality

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