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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: row · nail · band · bound · deal · field · bank · sharp

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. row — to paddle
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bound — certain
  9. band — a music group
  10. bank — of a river
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a line
  13. field — farmland
  14. sharp — clever
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. band — a ring
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. field — a subject
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a rubber band
  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