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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: bass · fork · pop · mark · content · net · bank · suit

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — for catching
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — soda
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. content — the amount
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — clothes
  18. net — in sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. net — after costs
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fork — in a road
  24. content — happy

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