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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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Word bank
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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: kid · pass · row · bank · fork · drill · fan · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — to tease
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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