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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bank — of a river
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. date — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a path
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — part of the body

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