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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · fork · craft · wound · track · spell · pitcher · present

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — there
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — a gift
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — letters
  18. present — the time now
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — in a road

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