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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. content — the amount
  8. board — to get on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bank — of a river
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — happy
  16. land — ground
  17. board — a committee
  18. land — a country
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a flat piece
  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