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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. content — the amount
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — in music
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — of a river
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fine — all right
  11. lean — to bend
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lean — thin
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — to go on
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — final

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