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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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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: tear · sharp · root · bank · board · ground · racket · pit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — a position
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. board — to get on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ground — the earth
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — with an edge

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