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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — in cards
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — all right
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. current — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — help
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. current — happening now
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — high quality

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