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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — size or range
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. scale — in music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ground — a position

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