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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 120 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: face · bound · prune · deal · pitch · wake · bank · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — to point toward
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — tied together
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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