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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — of a river
  4. drill — a practice
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. drill — army training
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pop — soda
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bank — for money
  21. kick — in football
  22. court — of law
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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