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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 120 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: cabinet · land · bank · sharp · charge · race · pitch · band

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — a country
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — a price
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. charge — in control
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. land — to come down
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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