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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: fork · stick · file · content · jam · bank · race · field

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. file — a document
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. field — a subject
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. file — a line of people
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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