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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: mark · ruler · hand · fork · bank · deal · prune · spring

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spring — the season
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — of water
  11. hand — help
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — a big deal

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