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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — after costs
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — of a river
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. net — for catching
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spring — of water
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — there
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bank — for money

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