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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: game · mark · rest · fork · stick · chair · bank · craft

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — a match
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — a break
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. craft — boats
  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