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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — finally
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — in a road
  10. last — final
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. content — happy
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — to go on
  24. fan — a supporter

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