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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 · object · board · fork · pit · dip · chair · net

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — for catching
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. object — an aim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chair — a leader

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