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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: bank · mark · date · fork · nail · pitcher · charge · kid

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bank — of a river
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kid — to tease
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — electricity
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. charge — a price
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — child

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