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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · branch · fork · ground · fan · safe · capital · land

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. capital — a city
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. fork — in a road
  13. capital — money
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. land — ground
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — a country
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. branch — of a bank

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