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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: racket · tear · bound · bass · field · mouse · bank · foot

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. field — farmland
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tear — from crying
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. field — a subject
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — for a computer

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