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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 120 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
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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: spell · bay · fork · net · cabinet · row · bank · current

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — letters
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — for catching
  8. current — electric
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — of water
  15. net — in sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. net — after costs
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — happening now

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