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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. file — a line of people
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. file — a document
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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