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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: racket · lean · foot · band · club · fork · march · bank

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — a group
  8. band — a ring
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a music group
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. club — for dancing

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