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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · sharp · pitcher · bank · chest · arm · fork · mark

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — in sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bank — for money

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