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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: kick · rule · key · bank · pit · fork · arm · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — a law

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