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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — finally
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — from a university
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — to keep track
  12. last — final
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. fork — to eat with

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