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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: ground · stick · tube · bank · pitcher · rest · fine · race

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — humankind
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — a position
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. race — a contest
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitcher — a jug

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