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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty

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