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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. charge — a price
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. roll — a list
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — in control
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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