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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: suit · fine · kid · chest · fork · net · bank · foot

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — for money
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — in sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. net — after costs
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chest — a box
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fine — all right
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — a garden tool

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