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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: mate · can · bank · fork · clip · mark · drill · deal

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mark — a trace
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mark — a grade

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