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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.

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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 · drill · rest · ball · stick · track · temple · bank

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — the tool
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a path
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — of a river
  17. drill — army training
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a round shape

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