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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.

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: last · mouse · ball · rash · tear · plane · pitch · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ball — a dance
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bank — for money
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. last — finally
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rash — a series
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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