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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: date · ruler · branch · pit · bat · fan · fork · can

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. branch — a division
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — for measuring

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