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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · charge · lean · pop · kid · bound · fork · date

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. charge — electricity
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — soda
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bank — of a river
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — a price
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — thin
  24. fork — to eat with

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