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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: game · track · fork · board · stick · bank · fan · chest

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. track — a path
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. track — to keep track

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