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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: stick · bound · kid · date · bank · perch · jam · fork

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. date — the fruit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — in a road
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — tied together
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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