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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — certain
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. bear — the animal

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