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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fine — all right
  6. capital — a city
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bore — to drill
  13. present — there
  14. bore — to tire
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — wild animals
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — high quality
  22. present — the time now
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — money

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