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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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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: rule · bank · fan · mouse · land · capital · fork · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. dip — to sink
  9. capital — a city
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  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