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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — of a king
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bark — to shout
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — rain
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bank — of a river

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