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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: board · wound · bank · dip · fine · chest · content · fork

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — for money
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chest — a box
  22. fine — all right
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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