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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: rule · cap · track · saw · staff · bulb · fork · bank

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — government
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — in a road
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — to eat with

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