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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fine — all right
  18. content — happy
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. track — to keep track
  24. content — videos and posts

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