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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: bank · bound · net · row · squash · fork · band · calf

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. row — a line
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. band — a ring
  7. net — after costs
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — tied together
  10. band — a music group
  11. row — to paddle
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — obliged
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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