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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — for sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — farmland
  19. race — the arms race
  20. staff — a stick
  21. capital — a city
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. race — a contest

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