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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. capital — money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — the fish
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. mate — to breed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — the season
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. capital — a city
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fall — to drop

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