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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — happy
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. bass — low music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. calf — a young animal

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