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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — all right
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bank — of a river
  24. key — in music

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