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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: tear · hand · dip · pitch · wound · bank · pit · fork

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — in a road

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