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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — what's left

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