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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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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: saw · club · fork · mouse · temple · capital · toast · nail

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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