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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 · fine · straw · roll · ball · bound · bank · pitch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a great time
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. last — finally
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — all right
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — dry grass

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