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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — a division
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — in a road
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. file — a document
  17. ground — crushed
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. swing — music

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