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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 · rush · pitcher · row · stand · drill · kid · fork

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — army training
  10. row — a line
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  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