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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: fork · kick · lean · bank · board · tube · court · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — of a river
  9. court — for sport
  10. toast — bread
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — the underground
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — to get on

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