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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: bank · track · bowl · firm · drill · cap · sharp · mine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. drill — army training
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bank — of a river
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. firm — decided
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. firm — a company
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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