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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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