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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rule — government
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tube — a container
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — low music
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tube — in a tire

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