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

Word bank: bank · fork · deal · bay · arm · ground · tube · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — a container
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bank — for money
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tube — the underground
  24. deal — an agreement

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