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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 · stick · rock · fork · march · mark · chip · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fork — in a road
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — music
  15. content — the amount
  16. rock — music
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — to eat
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — of a river

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