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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: suit · racket · bore · band · fork · bank · pop · mine

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bore — to tire
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — music
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — to visit
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bank — of a river
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mine — an explosive

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