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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 116 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: saw · mug · fork · bank · land · race · fan · branch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — ground
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. land — a country
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mug — a cup
  13. race — humankind
  14. mug — a face
  15. saw — the tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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