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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. game — a match
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. leaves — of a tree

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