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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fork — in a road
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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