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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rock — music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stock — shares
  24. game — a kind of play

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