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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — final
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. last — to go on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a signal

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