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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: ruler · dip · bank · bulb · cap · can · fork · row

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — to be able to
  3. row — a line
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bank — of a river
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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