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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 116 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: pitcher · mate · lean · sharp · band · bank · deal · track

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a music group
  5. track — a song
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — of a river
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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