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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — after costs
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. net — in sport
  23. roll — a list
  24. stand — to bear

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