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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: fork · pit · cabinet · rash · content · bank · stick · bowl

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. content — happy
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — a series
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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