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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. firm — decided
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. mine — for digging
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — a company
  14. object — a thing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. object — an aim
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — money
  24. fork — to eat with

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