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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rock — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — a stone

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