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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. last — final
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. scale — in music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fine — all right
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. last — finally
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — to go on

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