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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · ball · bank · row · fork · staff · rash · bear

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. staff — employees
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. row — a line
  4. rash — a series
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rash — hasty
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. row — to paddle
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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