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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · fork · root · stand · clip · fan · capital · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. clip — a video
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. clip — to cut
  14. root — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. clip — for paper
  24. temple — a place of worship

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