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

Word bank: wind · firm · bank · club · capital · safe · fork · root

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — decided
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — the cause
  7. firm — steady
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — for money
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. capital — money
  13. fork — in a road
  14. club — for dancing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — for golf
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. club — a group
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a city
  24. firm — a company

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