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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bank — of a river
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mine — belonging to me

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