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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: ground · fall · can · cap · trunk · wind · bank · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — a position
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — moving air
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — the season
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — to be able to

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