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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 · fall · fork · chest · scale · pitch · foot · bay

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chest — a box
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. foot — a measure

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