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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bound — tied together
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fine — all right

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