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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: fork · bank · pitch · rush · pop · fine · pitcher · cold

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cold — an illness
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — all right
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cold — not warm

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