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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · can · toast · stand · capital · fan · branch · drill

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — bread
  3. capital — a city
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — army training
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. capital — money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — a division
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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