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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: bound · chair · firm · tube · track · ground · can · bank

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — to keep track
  4. firm — a company
  5. tube — a container
  6. bank — of a river
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bound — certain
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bound — tied together
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. chair — a leader

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