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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kid — child
  4. pit — a hole
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fan — a supporter

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