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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: fork · current · bank · capital · bound · mate · pit · pass

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. current — electric
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — happening now
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — money
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. capital — a city
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bound — certain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — of water

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