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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: last · vault · sharp · mug · root · club · pitcher · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — to rob
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. mug — a face
  11. club — a group
  12. last — final
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. last — to go on
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — a cup
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — of a word

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