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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kid — child
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — of a river
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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